Auburn teacher stresses physical and mental strength in and out of classroom

Wednesday

Feb 6, 2013 at 6:00 AMFeb 7, 2013 at 2:49 PM

For students in Sarah Connell's English class at Auburn Middle School, the theme guiding this year's course of study, “Go the Extra Mile,” are words to live by. Studying the role of physical and mental strength in the face of adversity, they've learned about the civil rights era in the United States and have simulated the 1963 March on Washington on one of their “walking” field trips.

By Dave Greenslit CORRESPONDENT

For students in Sarah Connell's English class at Auburn Middle School, the theme guiding this year's course of study, “Go the Extra Mile,” are words to live by.

Studying the role of physical and mental strength in the face of adversity, they've learned about the civil rights era in the United States and have simulated the 1963 March on Washington on one of their “walking” field trips.

In their teacher, they have a mentor who knows a little bit about physical and mental strength. She's been going the extra mile for years.

Connell swam and ran cross country and spring track while a student at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, and swam at Fordham University. During her junior and senior years at Doherty, she finished in the top five in all her events at the state swimming championships. Fordham, a Division 1 school, recruited her and offered her a scholarship to compete for its swim team.

These days, Connell runs, swims, lifts weights and does Zumba, a dance exercise workout. And besides teaching in Auburn, she's finishing her master's degree at Boston College and working at Camp Putnam in New Braintree, where she is waterfront director and helps out with administration and fundraising.

She recalled an assembly at the middle school during which she and two football players from Holy Cross talked about the responsibilities of being student-athletes.

When students heard of her accomplishments in the pool, on the track and over the cross country trails, “they thought that was pretty impressive for an old lady like me,” said Connell, 25.

She enjoys teaching in Auburn, where she says she's been given plenty of opportunity for growth.

In the fall, her students read the memoir of Grace Akallo, who was abducted, forced to become a child soldier and marched across Uganda by the notorious rebel militia known as the Lord's Resistance Army. After escaping and coming to the United States, she studied at Clark University and founded United Africans for Women & Children Rights, a group that stresses education.

Over the past two years Auburn Middle School students have collected more than 15,000 books for educational efforts in Africa, according to Connell.

“I can't tell you what a physical challenge it proved for my students to collect the volumes and prepare them for shipping,” she said.

Connell has a longstanding connection with Camp Putnam, where she went as a child, won some swimming races and, as she put it, “got a taste” for competition. She has worked there since high school, and moved to New Braintree to be close to the camp. She is a lifeguard, teaches swimming and helps with programming in the summer. In the off-season, she pitches in where needed.

She typically puts in a long day, which starts at 5:30 a.m. and might not end until she returns to New Braintree from her night classes in Boston. Still, she tries to work out every day, and for the second year, is doing half-marathon training with fellow members of Worcester Fitness, where she is a member.

She's not sure which half-marathon she might run this year, but has a couple of shorter races lined up, and could return to competitive swimming at the Bay State Games in July. And, though she says she's not much of a bicyclist, a triathlon is not out of the question.

“I have the swimming and the running down,” she said, in somewhat of an understatement.

Connell has learned the benefits of fitness and exercise, and strives to pass that along to kids at camp and in the classroom.

“It gives me tremendous willpower in terms of goal setting,” she said recently before heading into Worcester Fitness on Grove Street in Worcester to lift weights and swim.

“I'm so much happier when I exercise,” she added. “It always puts me in a better mood.”

No Excuses is a monthly feature that focuses on busy people who manage to make fitness part of their lives. If you or someone you know have figured out how to manage that healthy balance, we'd like to hear about it. Contact us at people@telegram.com.